Department for Communities and Local Government

Council Tax

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated increase in council tax arrears following changes to council tax benefit.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Local authorities are responsible for assessing the impact of their local council tax support schemes, including on arrears, and ensuring that this is taken into account when schemes are reviewed.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

FCO Services

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements are in place for assessing whether information assurance and cyber security systems in FCO Services are adequate.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: FCO Services follows the principles set out in the Government Security Policy Framework and the Senior Information Risk Officer (SIRO) Handbook. The FCO Services appointed SIRO is a Board member supported in their role by the Head of Corporate Knowledge and Security and the Chief Information Security Office. The SIRO provides an annual report to the Chief Executive Officer and FCO Services Audit and Risk Assurance Committee on the effectiveness of information risk management arrangements. All FCO Services Directors are made accountable and responsible as Information Asset Owners, and provide quarterly assurance to the SIRO on the security of and risk to all information assets in their area of responsibility. Each Information Asset Manager is supported by a network of Information Asset Owners, and a suite of Information Management policies. Risk management of information assets and cyber security is considered at the quarterly Security Committee chaired by the CEO.The FCO Services Cyber Security Steering Group provides assurance that IT System security is effectively managed in accordance with Communications Electronics Security Group (CESG) good practice guidelines, CESG Information Security standards, and any relevant legal and regulatory requirements. Chaired by the SIRO, it identifies and mitigates cyber security risk.

FCO Services

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when information systems at FCO Services were last independently penetration tested.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: FCO Services operates a range of security accredited information services on behalf of our clients. External penetration tests are conducted as a mandatory part of the security accreditation process. The external penetration tests are commissioned at solution deployment and then at least annually thereafter to maintain the security accreditation. The last external penetration test commissioned was completed in April 2015.

FCO Services

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many power failures have affected information systems at FCO Services in the last two years.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Since June 2013 there have been two occasions when power failures have caused information services hosted by FCO Services to become unavailable. The first event was a failure of the Hanslope Park campus electrical supply resilience on the feed from the National Grid being lost. The second occurred during maintenance work in March 2015 to replace failing components. These components were repaired as an interim step but were successfully replaced in June 2015.

FCO Services

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many staff at FCO Services have been (1) dismissed or (2) disciplined in the last three years for (a) breaching security arrangements or (b) other reasons.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Over the last three years, one member of staff has been dismissed for breaching security regulations, and thirteen have been dismissed for other reasons. For the same period, six members of staff have been disciplined for breaching security arrangements, and thirteen have been disciplined for other reasons.

Burma: Ethnic Groups

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the nationwide ceasefire talks in Burma, and the prospects for peace in the ethnic states, particularly Kachin state.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: On 31 March the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team and government negotiators successfully agreed a draft text of the Nationwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA). Following this agreement, a series of consultations has taken place to discuss the detail of the Accord, including a meeting between 2 – 9 June in Karen State attended by over 100 representatives from 17 ethnic armed groups as well as UN Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on Burma, Vijay Nambiar. As a result, amendments to the text were proposed, and the ethnic armed groups agreed to form a new committee, comprising more senior representatives, to engage in further negotiations with the Burmese government. Prospects for a NCA ahead of the elections in Burma scheduled for November 2015 remain uncertain. However, even in the absence of a NCA, we do not anticipate a return to widespread conflict. Bilateral ceasefires remain in place between the government and the majority of armed groups, and a timetable for further negotiations is being discussed. We remain actively engaged in the peace process and stand ready to provide whatever additional assistance is required.

Maldives: Political Prisoners

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have about the well-being of former president of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed, opposition leaders, activists, and other political prisoners who have been arrested or jailed; and what representations they and the Commonwealth have made to the government of the Maldives on behalf of those individuals.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have received many reports about the well-being of former President Nasheed and others, and about the conditions in which they are held. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), has regularly raised these issues, and our wider concerns, with the Government of the Maldives, most recently with Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon on 28 May and 12 June. We also regularly raise the issue of the Maldives with the Commonwealth Secretary General, most recently on 16 June. Commonwealth delegates have recently visited the Maldives to investigate the circumstances of former President Nasheed’s imprisonment.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the signed declaration by Hamas and other militant groups that they will accept a ruling by the International Criminal Court (ICC), what discussions they have had with the government of Israel following its reported statement that the ICC has no authority to consider Palestinian complaints because Palestine is not a state.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government has had various discussions with the Israeli authorities about the International Criminal Court most recently with the Israeli National Security Adviser on 3 June.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel regarding its policy on child detention, in the light of the 1,266 detentions by Israel of Palestinians under the age of 15 documented by the Palestine Liberation Organization in 2014; and what recommendations from the 2012 report Children in Military Custody have so far been adopted.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: I met the Israeli Military Advocate General and the Israeli Ambassador to London on 2 June where the issue of child detention was discussed. I was given an update on the efforts made by Israel on the issue of Palestinian child detainees. I made clear that while we welcome improvements, such as changes to standard operating procedures on methods of restrain and the pilot to use summons instead of night-time arrests; we continue to push for the full implementation of changes and to encourage further changes in practice.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel regarding its use of soldiers from the Israeli Defence Forces to expel 200 Palestinians from the pool and park in the occupied village of al Karmil in order for Israeli settlers to use the park’s facilities.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government has not had any discussions with the Israeli authorities over this incident. We have, however, instructed our Consulate-General in Jerusalem to look into this incident.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Rand Corporation’s report that a peace settlement would boost both the Israeli and Palestinian economies, what pressure they plan to put on the government of Israel to withdraw from Palestinian territory; and what assessment they have made of the potential saving to the United Kingdom aid budget over 10 years if the West Bank and Gaza were to develop their own economy.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK will continue to press the parties strongly to make progress towards peace, maintain calm, refrain from taking actions which could make the resumption of negotiations more difficult and focus once again on finding common ground.The Rand Corporation’s report estimates that the Palestinian economy would gain $50 billion over 10 years (raising average per capita income by approximately 3%). In that event, the UK would consider the future size and scope of its aid programme.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support they plan to give to France regarding its draft resolution to time limit renewed negotiations for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We see merit in a balanced UN Security Council resolution at the right moment, setting out parameters for a political settlement. Any resolution must command the full support of the Security Council. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has regular discussions with his French counterpart on the Middle East peace process. We will judge any proposal on the basis of whether it supports further progress in that process.

Rendition

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the newly declassified accounts of CIA torture practices at Guantanamo Bay, what assurances they will give that they will not repeat their use of rendition or collaborate in such practices, and that full transparency will be allowed regarding the treatment of United Kingdom detainees.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Government stands firmly against all torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. We do not do it, we do not condone it, and we do not ask others to do it on our behalf.The US government has been clear that it has no intention of reverting to previous practices under the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)’s detention and interrogation programme. President Obama formally ended the CIA’s use of enhanced interrogation techniques soon after taking office. In response to the recent publication of the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s declassified summary of their report on CIA detentions and interrogation, he issued a statement which referred to those former practices as “inconsistent with our values as a nation”, and reiterated that he would continue to use his authority as President to make sure that they were not used again.

Gaza

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions they plan to take with international partners to support the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to Gaza.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While we are aware of the intention of a ship departing from Sweden to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, we have no plans to offer any support to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. We understand that the Israeli authorities have offered for it to dock in the port of Ashdod and to provide onward transportation into Gaza.

Gaza

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about allowing the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza without intervention by Israel's military services.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government has not made any representations to the Israeli authorities regarding the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to Gaza. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) travel advice is clear on the subject: “The FCO advise against all travel to Gaza (including the waters off Gaza). Don’t attempt to enter Gaza by sea, including via a flotilla. The Israeli Navy routinely patrol the area and have made clear that they will prevent any vessels attempting to breach the restrictions. You will be detained and deported, and your electronic equipment is likely to be confiscated. The FCO does not believe that humanitarian supplies should be delivered in this way. Anyone wishing to send humanitarian assistance or other goods to Gaza should do so through established channels.”

Gaza

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions they have taken to secure the end of Israel's blockade of Gaza, and to monitor the extent of international aid arriving in Gaza as a result of the last cease-fire agreement.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government continues to urge the parties to prioritise progress towards a durable solution for Gaza, and to take the necessary steps to ensure Gaza’s reconstruction and economic recovery. There is an urgent need for agreement to address the terrible situation in Gaza and the drivers of conflict.We welcome the recent positive steps that Israel has taken to ease some restrictions. However, we want to see Israel go much further, and we are continuing to call on them to do so. Under the temporary Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism, over 95,000 people have now been able to buy materials to repair their homes. The UK continues to encourage the full implementation of the reconstruction mechanism as soon as possible.

Eritrea

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Eritrea regarding Aster Fissehatsion.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We remain concerned about the case of Aster Fissehatsion who is one of a group of prominent public figures in Eritrea who were arrested after calling for democratic reforms. We have directly, and through the EU, called on the Eritrean authorities to unconditionally release all political prisoners, including Aster Fissehatsion. The UK remains concerned about the human rights situation in Eritrea, including the arrests of opposition leaders, journalists and religious figures. Eritrea featured as a country of concern in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s annual human rights report.

Gibraltar: Spain

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the reasons for the multiple incursions by Spanish state vessels into British territorial waters around Gibraltar.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: I refer the noble Lord to the answer given by the former Senior Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my noble Friend, the right hon. Baroness Warsi, on 6 May 2014, Official Report, column WA361, which still stands.

Mexico: Human Rights

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made representations to the government of Mexico about human rights in that country, and about access to water and sewage services for protestant families in Mariano Matamoros in the state of Chiapas.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Government attaches great importance to the support of human rights around the world, in Mexico as elsewhere. We are aware of reports that some Protestant communities face discrimination in certain areas of Mexico and will continue to monitor the situation closely. We encourage efforts by the Mexican government to strengthen processes and mechanisms to prevent human rights violations and ensure that those responsible for violations are brought to justice. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), discussed human rights with President Peña Nieto during his State Visit to the UK in March this year. Our Embassy in Mexico City has an ongoing programme of meetings and discussions with representatives of the Mexican government, human rights defenders and non-governmental organisations. We hope these efforts will help strengthen rule of law in Mexico and build respect for fundamental human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief.

Iraq

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their most recent assessment of the steps taken by the government of Iraq to encourage political reconciliation and the move towards an inclusive framework of government in Iraq.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We welcome the commitments that Prime Minister al-Abadi has made to reaching out to all of Iraq’s communities, including the Sunni community, and delivering the reforms needed to secure a meaningful political settlement. Prime Minister al-Abadi has already taken some important steps in this regard, including appointing the most inclusive government that Iraq has seen for a decade, securing an important revenue sharing deal with the Kurdistan Regional government and building cross-party support for the 2015 budget. We will continue to support Prime Minister al-Abadi as he works to progress political reconciliation and a unified response to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Iraq

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to assist the government of Iraq with its community-building efforts in post-conflict areas such as Tikrit where ISIS have been expelled.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Restoring security, governance and vital services to areas liberated from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) are important for the safe return of those displaced by violence and to stop ISIL retaking ground. This stabilisation work is one of the five lines of effort in the Counter-ISIL Coalition’s strategy. It must be led by the Iraqi government, but closely supported by the international Counter-ISIL Coalition.The UK is actively supporting the Iraqi government in a number of ways: as a key member of the Coalition Stabilisation Working Group; providing technical expertise and advice to the Iraqi government-led Stabilisation Task Force in Baghdad; and through our military and humanitarian support. On 2 June, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), joined other Coalition ministers to review the Coalition’s progress in defeating ISIL, including ways to support communities recovering from the effects of ISIL’s brutal occupation. During the meeting, the Foreign Secretary announced that the UK would pledge £2 million in support to the UN Development Programme’s Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilisation.

Gambia

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they and other Commonwealth governments are making to the government of The Gambia about female genital mutilations, in particular regarding the desirability of eliminating the practice.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Our Embassy in Banjul has been working closely with non-governmental organisations to change local attitudes towards the practice. The Department for International Development is also funding a joint UN Population Fund (UNFPA)/United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) programme in The Gambia to raise public awareness. Progress is being made, but there is still a long way to go.We welcome statements by the Gambian government against Female Genital Mutilation, including by the Vice President and the Minister of Health and Social Welfare but it has yet to legislate against the practice.

Iran

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Iran concerning the case of Atena Farghadani.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are concerned by the continuing detention of Ms Farghadani, apparently for drawing satirical cartoons and describing her ill-treatment in prison. Our non-resident Chargé d’affaires discussed freedom of expression in Iran when he met the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Director General for Human Rights in May 2015. We have not raised the detention of Ms Farghadani specifically.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Burma: Police

Baroness Nye: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what equipment has been exported from the United Kingdom to Burma for use by the Burmese police force in the past two years.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Export Control Organisation only holds data on licences issued and refused that fall within strategic export controls.   No such licences have been granted for the Burmese police force.

Department for International Development

Burma: Refugees

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 10 June (HL125), what is their current estimate of the number of men, women and children in those camps; why that estimate was not given in that Answer; and what is their estimate of the average number of years refugees have been living in the camps on the Burma–Thai border.

Earl of Courtown: According to latest reports from The Border Consortium (TBC) at the end of December there were 110,094 refugees who had been verified in the TBC database and were living in the camps. According to UNHCR’s refugees profiling report on years of residency, as of 2014: approximately 64% of the refugees have lived in the shelter for less than 10 years. Almost 30% have lived in the shelter between 11-20 years and only 7% have lived in the shelter over 20 years.

Department for Education

European Union: Education

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they intend to introduce to ensure that sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996 are complied with in relation to the European Union, particularly before the holding of a referendum on the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union.

Lord Nash: Schools are aware of their duties regarding impartiality and treatment of political issues. Sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996 require maintained schools to prevent political indoctrination and secure the balanced treatment of political issues. This duty is reflected in the model funding agreement for academies and free schools. In citizenship education, pupils are taught about local, regional and international governance and the United Kingdom’s relations with the rest of Europe, the Commonwealth, the United Nations and the wider world. Pupils will be equipped with the skills to think critically and debate political questions.

Ministry of Justice

Employment Tribunals Service: Fees and Charges

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 10 June (HL23), what assessment they have made of the effect of the increase in employment tribunal fees on the number of claims being brought.

Lord Faulks: On 11 June 2015 the Government announced a review of the introduction of fees in the Employment Tribunal.Further details are available on the Ministry of Justice website.

Ministry of Defence

Burma: Military Aid

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much money has been spent to date, and how much money is allocated to be spent in the future, on training the Burmese army.

Earl Howe: We do not provide combat training to the Burmese army. Since 2013, we have undertaken a limited number of carefully calibrated education courses with the Burmese military focussed on modernisation and reform of the army and which adhere to the core principles of democratic accountability, international law and human rights. As the single most influential institution in Burma, it is right that we engage with the military to encourage them to support Burma's continuing transition to democracy.From late 2013 to March 2015, the UK spent £105,905 on these educational activities. In financial year 2015-16, £74,210.82 has been allocated for the provision of English Language Training at the Defence Services Academy of Burma and a further £85,000 towards the delivery of leadership and reform activities. We are continuing to carefully assess what additional educational activities we might undertake with the Burmese military in future years in order to encourage reform.

War Pensions

Lord Tebbit: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 10 June (HL211), whether war pensions have been mentioned in any government statements concerning the level of spending on defence, other than their statement on defence spending submissions to NATO between 2011 and 2014.

Earl Howe: The information is not held centrally and to check all statements and publications could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost. Expenditure on war pensions has been included in the Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s Annual Report and Accounts as part of the MOD's operating costs since 2001.

Armed Forces Covenant: Northern Ireland

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applications were submitted from Northern Ireland for the first three tranches of the Armed Forces Covenant (Libor) Fund.

Earl Howe: Seven applications were submitted from Northern Ireland for the first three tranches of the fund.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Immigrants

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether Polish citizens of working age settled in the United Kingdom are more or less likely to claim benefits than the national average.

Lord Freud: Specific assessments of the number of Polish benefit claimants as a proportion of the working age population are not available.

Jobcentre Plus: Training

Lord McColl of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what training on human trafficking has been provided to Jobcentre Plus staff.

Lord Freud: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) policy is to develop its staff in the skills and knowledge required to support a range of claimants sensitively and to respect their individual needs.  The department is currently developing guidance and training for DWP staff around human trafficking. This will be available for any member of staff who is told or suspects that the customer they are dealing with is a victim of human trafficking.

Welfare State

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment have they made of the impact of any shrinking of the welfare state on access by individuals to their communities and work.

Lord Freud: The Government’s commitment to reduce welfare spending was set out in its election manifesto. Further details will be given in due course.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

EU Reform

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 11 June (HL206), whether the Prime Minister has yet discussed with other European Union leaders the repatriation of agriculture and fisheries policies to member states, and what position he has taken in those discussions.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Discussions are at an early stage. My reply of 11 June referred to some of the areas where the Government believes the EU needs to change.

Thames Tideway Tunnel

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many bids have been received for the infrastructure provider utility to receive a licence from the Water Services Regulation Authority to build and operate the Thames Tideway Tunnel; and what assessment they have made of whether this number is sufficient to achieve competitive tension and to comply with the Utilities Contract Regulations 2006 Schedule 1 and HM Treasury's Guide on Procurement for Complex Investments in Infrastructure Assets.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Procurement of the Thames Tideway Tunnel Infrastructure Provider is being carried out by Thames Water Utilities Limited. As this is a live procurement, the Government is unable to comment on commercially-sensitive aspects, including the number of bidders. Once complete, further information on the procurement will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union as a contract award notice. Having been consulted on the terms that the project was put out to tender, the Government is satisfied it complies with all relevant procurement law and is capable of delivering value for money.

Flood Control

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to invest in flood defences.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Flood defences are a priority for this Government. We are spending £2.3 billion on more than 1,500 schemes to improve defences through a six-year programme of work up to 2021. This is projected to reduce overall flood risk by 5%.

Home Office

Migrant Workers: Domestic Service

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether anyone applying to enter the United Kingdom accompanying an employer on a Domestic Workers in a Private Household visa since 2009 has disclosed abuse perpetrated by their employer.

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether anyone entering the United Kingdom accompanying an employer on a Domestic Workers in a Private Household visa since 2009 has disclosed abuse perpetrated by their employer.

Lord Bates: The Home Office does not collect data on disclosures of abuse by applicants for, or those entering the United Kingdom on, domestic worker visas. However, disclosures of abuse perpetrated by employers do occur. Analysis of Home Office management information indicates that of the 1,623 trafficking cases which were confirmed between May 2009 and May 2015, 71 were linked to people who had previously been issued an overseas domestic worker visa. This includes the Domestic Workers in a Private Household visa and the Private Servants in a Diplomatic Household visa issued under the International Agreement category of Tier 5 of the Points Based System. The Government has asked James Ewins, an expert on modern slavery, to carry out an independent review of the overseas domestic worker visas, which will consider whether they are effective in protecting potential victims from abuse. Mr Ewins is due to report in July.

Visas: Overseas Students

Lord Green of Deddington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many certificates of sponsorship were issued in respect of Scottish employers for students who switched from Tier 4 into Tier 2 in each of 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Lord Bates: The number of certificates of sponsorship used in each of the calendar years 2012, 2013 and 2014 by migrants to switch from Tier 4 into Tier 2 employment in Scotland, is set out at Table 1 below.Table 1: Tier 2 Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) Used per calendar year 2012 to 2014 for employment in Scotland Year201220132014Tier 2 CoS used to switch from Tier 4 to Tier 2 employment in Scotland 164501527

Communications Data and Interception Powers Review

Lord Paddick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of David Anderson's finding that there is no compelling case for the compulsory retention of third party data in his report of the Investigatory Powers Review.

Lord Bates: As my right Honourable Friend, the Home Secretary, said in her statement to the House of Commons on 11 June (Col 1356), which I repeated, David Anderson does not say that access to third party data should not be permissible or possible but that a compelling operational case should be made first. The Government will consider all David Anderson’s recommendations carefully before bringing forward legislative proposals.

Electronic Surveillance

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to implement the recommendation of David Anderson QC that communications data should not be intercepted without the authorisation of senior judges for warrants; and if so when.

Lord Bates: As my Rt Honourable Friend, the Home Secretary, said in her statement on 11 June, the Government will need to give proper consideration to the recommendations made by David Anderson, QC, as well as those made by the Intelligence and Security Committee, before bringing forward legislative proposals in the autumn for pre-legislative scrutiny.

Refugees: Mediterranean Sea

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what efforts they have made to ensure that refugees crossing the Mediterranean are not assumed to be economic migrants.

Lord Bates: EU Member States have obligations requiring them to accept and consider without delay an application for asylum from any migrant arriving on their territory. These obligations include the application of the Dublin Regulation to determine which EU member State is responsible for examining the merits of the application. Her Majesty's Government has made very clear that it expects all EU Member States to honour those obligations as we do.

Drugs: Misuse

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what evidence they have that prohibition reduces the consumption of psychoactive drugs.

Lord Bates: The Government has carefully considered the issue of Psychoactive drugs. Last year the Home Office commissioned an expert panel to consider the issue and approaches to tackling New Psychoactive Substances (NPS).The NPS expert panel carefully considered the available evidence of different legislative approaches to tackling New Psychoactive Substances. Informed by the evidence on new psychoactive substances and responding to the ease of their availability in the absence of a comprehensive legal framework, the Panel recommended the Government consider a blanket ban similar to the general prohibition approach in Ireland, enacted by their Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act 2010. Recognising that the legislative approach alone was not a panacea the panel also considered the education, prevention and treatment response to NPS and made a series of comprehensive recommendations. A report by an expert panel in Scotland in February 2015 and a Welsh Government inquiry by the Health and Social Care Committee in the National Assembly for Wales which reported in March 2015 reached similar conclusions.

Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to ratify the Istanbul Convention in order to protect women and girls who have suffered sexual violence regardless of their immigration status.

Lord Bates: This Government is committed to ratifying the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (“the Istanbul Convention”).The UK already has some of the most robust protections in the world against violence towards women and we already comply with the vast majority of the articles in the Istanbul Convention. This includes those related to protecting women and girls, whatever type of violence or abuse they may have been subjected to and irrespective of their immigration status.The UK Government is liaising with the devolved administrations about ratification, including any further legislative steps necessary.Primary legislation will be needed to comply with the extra-territorial jurisdiction provisions in Article 44 of the Convention before it can be ratified.

Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many separate incidents of detainees self-harming and requiring medical treatment occurred at Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Lord Bates: Information is collated on the number of incidents of self-harm requiring medical treatment at Yarl’s Wood IRC. In 2013 there were 74 incidents and in 2014 there were 61.These are the number of incidents of self-harm requiring medical attention; they do not necessarily equate to the number of detainees requiring medical attention as one individual may have received medical attention on more than one occasion.The data quoted has been taken from management information only and has not been subject to the detailed checks that apply for national statistics publications. These figures are provisional and are subject to change.

Demonstrations

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to consider further the banning of the use of masks by demonstrators in order to avoid identification; and what assessment they have made of the current policy's impact on police forces and members of the community.

Lord Bates: Face coverings can be worn in public places for a variety of legitimate reasons. In the context of a public order situation, where face coverings are being worn with the express intention of concealing identity, section 60AA of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 enables a police officer in uniform to require any person to remove any item which the officer reasonably believes is being worn wholly or mainly for the purpose of concealing their identity. Section 60AA also enables a police officer in uniform to seize any item which they reasonably believe any person intends to use to conceal their identity.A refusal to comply with a direction under this section of the Act is punishable by a fine of up to £1,000 and/or one month’s imprisonment.These powers only apply in the locality and for the period for which an authorisation under section 60 or section 60AA of the Act has been given by a police officer of the rank of inspector or above. An inspector’s authorisation lasts for a maximum period of 24 hours, unless a police officer of the rank of superintendent or above authorises their use for a further 24 hours.There are currently no plans to ban the use of masks in public order situations.

Islamic State: Propaganda

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking directly to combat ISIL recruiting propaganda broadcast on social media.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are working with responsible social media companies to take robust action against terrorist material from groups like ISIL. Since 2010, over 90,000 pieces of terrorist-related material have been removed at the request of the dedicated Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit. We want industry to go further and see them employ a zero tolerance approach to terrorist activity on their networks. We will continue encouraging companies to produce industry standards for the identification, removal and referral of terrorist activity. We have initiated work on this, together with the Minister for Internet Security at the Department for Culture Media and Sport.We have also helped build the capacity of civil society groups through training and support, in order to give them the tools to challenge extremist messages online and provide credible alternatives. For example, the Home Secretary has given her personal support to the campaign launches of Families Matter, aimed at showing the distress caused to families by young people travelling to Syria and Iraq, and Making a Stand, promoting the voices of women to directly challenge the ISIL narrative.

Cabinet Office

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they expect the report of the Chilcot Inquiry to be published before the summer recess; and, if not, why not.

Lord Bridges of Headley: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 23 June 2015.The correct answer should have been:

Sir John Chilcot and the Prime Minister exchanged letters on 15 and 17 January June. In his letters, Sir John said that once the essential Maxwellisation process was complete, it was his intention to provide the Prime Minister with a timetable for the completion of the Inquiry’s report.  



Sir John Chilcot to David Cameron Letter 
(PDF Document, 241.08 KB)




David Cameron to Sir John Chilcot Letter 
(PDF Document, 198.08 KB)

Lord Bridges of Headley: Sir John Chilcot and the Prime Minister exchanged letters on 15 and 17 January June. In his letters, Sir John said that once the essential Maxwellisation process was complete, it was his intention to provide the Prime Minister with a timetable for the completion of the Inquiry’s report.  



Sir John Chilcot to David Cameron Letter 
(PDF Document, 241.08 KB)




David Cameron to Sir John Chilcot Letter 
(PDF Document, 198.08 KB)

Department for Culture Media and Sport

Arts

Lord Smith of Finsbury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the economic return to gross domestic product arising from each £1 invested in support for the arts.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: A report called The contribution of the arts and culture to the national economy was published in May 2013 by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) and showed that arts and culture make up 0.4% of the UK's gross domestic product. The report explained that for every £1 of gross value added (a measure of the economic value of goods and services) generated by the arts and culture sectors, an additional £1.43 of GVA is generated in the wider UK economy.

Department of Health

Paracetamol: Pregnant Women

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to raise awareness among pregnant women of the potential risk of paracetamol use to male foetuses.

Lord Prior of Brampton: There are no plans to change existing advice on the use of paracetamol during pregnancy for women carrying male foetuses. Pregnant women are advised to only take medication, including paracetamol, if absolutely necessary, in the lowest effective dose and for the shortest period of time. If a painful condition persists for more than one to two days, women should consult their midwife or doctor for advice.

General Practitioners: Recruitment

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recent report by recruitment firm Manpower that argued that the shortage of General Practitioners cannot be addressed unless immigration rules are changed to allow the recruitment of more doctors from overseas.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Department has acknowledged the report published by Manpower.   As at September 2014, there were 36,920 full-time equivalent general practitioners (GPs) working and training in the National Health Service. This is an increase of 1,677 since September 2010. The Government’s mandate to Health Education England requires it to ensure that 3,250 trainees are recruited to GP training programmes each year from 2016. This mandate commitment will enable 5,000 additional doctors to be available in general practice by 2020.   The Migration Advisory Committee, an independent non-Departmental public body that advises the Government on migration issues, consulted with stakeholders in the health sector and concluded that GPs should not be included on the national shortage occupation list. However, international recruitment of GPs under Tier 2 of the immigration points-based system continues to be an option for employers where genuine and continued difficulties exist in meeting demand from domestic and European Economic Area supply.